Clean Air Zone Newcastle: Charges and How to Avoid

Whether you’re visiting for business, tourism or driving commercially through the region, you’ll want to know about the Clean Air Zone (CAZ) in the Newcastle & Gateshead area.

The good news is, private cars and motorcycles are exempt, meaning for many drivers there’s no charge. But if you drive a taxi, van, minibus, coach, or heavy goods vehicle (HGV) and your vehicle doesn’t meet emissions standards, you could face a daily fee — and if unpaid, a fine.

This guide will walk you through:

• What the zone is and why it exists

• Where the zone applies

• Who must pay and what the daily charges are

• Exemptions and how you can apply

• What to do if you receive a fine — and how Resolvo helps you appeal

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🚦 What is the Newcastle & Gateshead Clean Air Zone (CAZ)?

The Newcastle & Gateshead CAZ is a designated area where certain older or high‑polluting commercial vehicles must pay a daily charge to drive, in order to help reduce nitrogen dioxide (NO₂) and other harmful emissions.

It is classified as a Class C CAZ, which means the charging applies to vans, LGVs, taxis/PHVs, minibuses, HGVs, buses and coaches. Private cars and motorcycles are not required to pay.

The zone launched for most vehicle types on 30 January 2023, with additional charging for vans and light goods vehicles phased in from 17 July 2023. It operates 24 hours a day, every day of the year.

📍 Where Does It Apply?

Newcastle-gateshead-caz-map

The zone covers much of Newcastle city centre and into Gateshead, including key routes across the Tyne (like the Swing Bridge, High Level Bridge and Redheugh Bridge). You can see a map of the zone on here

As with many CAZs, even brief entry or passing through the zone in a non‑compliant vehicle can trigger the charge — so it’s important to check before you go.

🚗 Who Must Pay the Daily Charge?

✅ Exempt (no charge required):

• Private cars (any age, petrol or diesel)

• Motorcycles and mopeds

• Any vehicle that meets the required emission standard for its type

• Vehicles in the “disabled tax class” or ULEVs (Ultra Low Emission Vehicles) when auto‑exempt

💸 Charge applies if your vehicle is non‑compliant and in the relevant category:

• Vans, light goods vehicles (LGVs), minibuses and taxis/PHVs: £12.50 per day for non‑compliant vehicles. 1

• Buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles (HGVs): £50 per day for non‑compliant vehicles. RAC+1 Important: The charging day runs from midnight to midnight — enter before midnight and leave after, and you could incur two separate charges. Blackcircles

💷 How and When to Pay the Charge

• You can pay the charge up to 6 days before your trip

• Or on the day of entry

• Or up to 6 days after you entered the zone. Caura

• Payment is handled via the official GOV.UK CAZ portal or equivalent approved channels. RAC+1

• If you fail to pay the charge when required, you may receive a Penalty Charge Notice (PCN) — usually a fine of £120, reduced to £60 if paid within 14 days. Motorway+1

🛑 Exemptions & Discounts — What You Should Know

🚗 Automatic National Exemptions (No application needed):

These apply across all CAZs:

• Vehicles in the disabled tax class

• Historic vehicles (40 years+ old)

• Military vehicles

• Ultra‑low emission vehicles (ULEVs)

• Vehicles retrofitted under the Clean Vehicle Retrofit Accreditation Scheme (CVRAS)

📋 Local Exemptions / Discounts (Newcastle & Gateshead specific):

These require an application and are specific to the Tyneside Clean Air Zone Some examples:

• Emergency service vehicles — police, fire, ambulance etc.

• Agricultural, plant or show‑vehicles — subject to proof of use and registration

• Vehicles awaiting retrofit or replacement — if you’ve applied for grant funding you may qualify

• Community transport vehicles — section‑19/22 type, non‑commercial purposes

For each of these you’ll need to apply online or via paper form, upload your V5 registration, photos, proof of eligibility, and wait for confirmation. Until you are approved, your vehicle is not automatically exempt.

Important Tips:

• A Blue Badge alone does not give you exemption unless the vehicle also meets the specified tax class/emission criteria.

• Apply before you travel in zones if you intend to rely on an exemption.

• These exemptions are zone‑specific — being exempt in Newcastle & Gateshead does not give you exemption in other cities.

✉️ What to Do If You Receive a Fine or PCN

If you get a Clean Air Zone charge / fine and believe it’s unfair (for example, you were driving a compliant vehicle, you paid the charge but it wasn’t recognised, signage or entry boundary was unclear) — you can appeal. Resolvo helps you by:

• Guiding you through which vehicle/fine you’ve got (CAZ vs parking/other fine)

• Generating a tailored and structured appeal letter in under 2 minutes

• Giving clear next‑step advice for submitting to the local authority

🔧 How to Avoid Charges in Future — Tyneside Edition

• Always check your vehicle registration using GOV.UK’s CAZ checker before your trip.

• If your vehicle falls into the chargeable category (van, taxi, HGV etc), confirm it meets required emissions, or arrange payment/choose an alternative route.

• For commercial vehicle drivers: check if you qualify for applicable grants or exemption schemes (especially if you operate vans/LGVs).

• If you believe you qualify for a local exemption/discount, apply well in advance, keep evidence and confirmation.

• When driving through the zone: note that the clock runs midnight to midnight — short gaps can still trigger two charges.

• If you park or stop in the zone for a trip: check signage — although private cars are exempt from the CAZ charge, you may still face parking fines if you breach local parking rules. Resolvo also supports general parking fines appeals.

🏁 Final Thoughts

The Newcastle & Gateshead Clean Air Zone is designed to protect public health and reduce emissions — not to trap everyday drivers. If you are driving a private car or motorcycle, you’re most likely exempt.

But for taxis, vans, coaches, HGVs and other commercial vehicles, knowing whether you fall into the chargeable category, checking compliance, and making payment or registering exemptions is key.

If you believe you were unfairly charged or fined — don’t let it slide. Use Resolvo’s free tools to check your vehicle, understand your rights, and submit a strong appeal when necessary. Because one mis‑ticketed day shouldn’t become a long‑term cost.

Appeal your CAZ or parking fine with Resolvo in just 2 minutes - it's completely free